Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 42,109 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Resona Asset Management reduced its Altria stake by 8.1%, selling 42,109 shares and retaining 478,439 shares valued at approximately $34.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Altria reported quarterly revenue of $5.36 billion, up 1.2% year over year, but earnings per share of $1.48 fell short of analysts’ $1.50 estimate. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $5.61–$5.72.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with five Buy, four Hold and two Sell ratings; the stock has an overall “Hold” consensus and an average price target of $70.11, versus a recent price of $65.72.

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. trimmed its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 8.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 478,439 shares of the company's stock after selling 42,109 shares during the quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $34,632,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Altria Group by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 3,691.2% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company's stock worth $259,492,000 after purchasing an additional 3,511,430 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 286.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company's stock worth $295,929,000 after buying an additional 3,321,262 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock worth $9,282,143,000 after buying an additional 1,903,530 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia grew its position in Altria Group by 301.4% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 2,416,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $139,315,000 after buying an additional 1,814,224 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $65.72 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.74 billion, a PE ratio of 13.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The business's fifty day moving average price is $70.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.69.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. The company's revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Profile

Altria Group, Inc NYSE: MO is a U.S.-based consumer goods company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company's operations are focused primarily on the U.S. market and include the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Its flagship cigarette franchise in the United States is sold through its operating subsidiaries and is among the most recognizable cigarette brands in the country.

Altria's principal operating businesses include Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), U.S.

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